剑桥Science子刊新作：颠覆传感器堆砌，用一块水凝胶实现172万触觉通道

Core Viewpoint - The research from the Cambridge University team presents a novel approach to robotic tactile sensing using a gelatin-based hydrogel, which functions as a giant sensor with 1.72 million information channels, eliminating the need for multiple sensors [1][19]. Group 1: Research Methodology - The hydrogel is designed as a continuous sensing field, with only 32 electrodes placed at the edges, allowing for the monitoring of 863,040 different current paths through electrical impedance tomography (EIT) [2][6]. - The system can simultaneously identify six types of stimuli: human touch, contact with conductive objects, pressure from insulating objects, localized heating, damage, and multi-point touch [2][6]. Group 2: Performance and Accuracy - A complete robotic hand made of hydrogel was created, achieving a positioning accuracy of 25mm even at the fingertips, which are far from the electrodes [3][19]. - The system demonstrated an average positioning error of 24.7mm during tests with 1,080 random touch points, and using only the ten optimal configurations, the error could be controlled within 40mm [18]. Group 3: Data Processing and Analysis - The research team utilized a data-driven configuration selection method, achieving a frame rate of 33kHz when monitoring specific configurations, compared to 0.02Hz when monitoring all channels [10][17]. - Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was employed to generate "fingerprint maps" for each stimulus type, indicating distinct electrical field change patterns for different stimuli [12]. Group 4: Material and Design Innovations - The study highlights the limitations of traditional electronic skin, such as complex manufacturing and susceptibility to damage, and proposes a simpler design paradigm that enhances robustness through information redundancy [19][20]. - The manufacturing process for the hydrogel hand involved 3D printing and molding techniques, demonstrating the feasibility of creating complex 3D shapes for tactile sensing [14].